Electric-current regulator.



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FREDERICK E. RAMSAY, OF WIALSENBURG, COLORADO.

ELECTRIC-CURRENT REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 628,849, dated July 11, 1899.

Application tiled October 14,1898. Serial No. 693,529. ING model.)

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK E. RAMsAY, a citizen ofthe United States, residing` at falsenburg, in the county of Huerfano and State of Colorado,^have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Current-Regulators5 and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to current-regulators, the same being in the nature of an improvement on the regulator patented to me September G, 1898, No. 610,413, and especially designed for use in connection with electric lights using the alternating current, whereby the illuminating power thereof may be controlled, so that any degree of illumination Within certain limits may be obtained.

The invention consists of a current-regulator in which the resistance-circuit is made up of an annular coil wound radially in layers and contact-plates in electrical connection with the separate layers, the said plates being` adapted to be engaged in turn by a movable contact-maker.

The invention also consists in other details ot" construction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings forming a part of the specilieation, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved regulator shown in operative position in connection with a lamp and its socket. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the regulator. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on a line just beneath the lower edge of the upper disk of the regulator. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the core of the resistancecoil.

Like reference-numerals indicate like parts in the diiterent views.

The socket-piece 1 and the lamp 2 may both be ot' any suitable form and construction.

The regulator 3 is designed to be located between the socket-piece 1 and the lamp 2 and is made up of two parallel disks 4t and 5, constructed of suitable insulating material, the disk e having secured to the upper side thereof a plug or tap 6, adapted to fit within the socket 1. The said tap 6 is made up of an outer annular conductor 7 and has extending through it to the under side of the disk 5 a contact-rod 8, insulated from the sleeve or conductor 7. by a block of porcelain 9, as clearly shown. The contact-rod 8 when inserted into the socket-piece 1 forms an electrical connection with one of the circuitwires and the contact-sleeve 7 with the other oi' the circuit-wires. Upon the under side of the disk 5 is secured a socket portion 10 for reeeivingthe plug ot the lamp 2, the same being provided with a contact-sleeve 11,which makes electrical connection with the outer contact-sleeve of the lamp. Upon the upper side of the disk 5 is arranged a series of ra- 4dially-extendingcontact-plates 12, 13,14, and

15. Any number of these plates may be employed, but the number shown in the drawings is sutlicient to enableaclear understanding ci the invention to be had. The inner contact-plate 12 is in electrical connection by means of a pin or bolt 1b gwith the cont-actsleeve 11. A standard 17 is located between the disks et and 5, and in said standard is mounted one end of a threaded bolt 18, having a milled head 19 upon its outer end and a similar head 2O upon its opposite end. 'The head 2O lits within a socket or recess in the standard 17 and is covered by a perforated plate 21, the said plate holding the threaded bolt 18 against longitudinal movement, but permitting the rotary movement thereof. The said bolt 18 extends through an internally -threaded contact-block 22, which is adapted to make electrical connection with one or the other of the contact-plates 12, 13, 14, and 15. Engaging one side of the bolt 18 is a spring 23, which is held in place against the under side of the disk et and in electrical connection with the contact-sleeve 7 by means of a bolt 24. As thus constructed it Will be seen that by turning the bolt 18 by means of the milled head 19 thereon the contact-block 22 will be caused to move in one direction or the other over the contact-plates 12, 13, 14, and 15.

In connection with the parts above described I employ an induction resistance-coil 25, made up of a central core 26, whose ends are insulated one from the other, as shown at 27, and a series of layers 28, 29, 30, and 31 of insulated wire wound upon said core. Each IOO layer of the coil is in electrical connection with each other layer through the contact platos or bars l2, 13, 11., and 15that is to say, from the layer of the coil a wire 3; leads to the contact-plate 12, from the layer 2) a wire 33 leads to the contact-plate 13, and from the layer 30 a wire 31 leads to the contact-plate l-l. Similarly' a wire 35 leads from the contact-plate 15 to the layer SO, a wire 36 leads from the contact-plate 1-1 to the layer 29, and a wire 37 leads from the contact-plate 123 to the layer 2S, so that the inductive resistance is obvious that the number ot coils thrown of one or more of the layers of wire which 1 make up the coil may be thrown into the circuit through the lamp-filamentat will. For example, if it be desired to have the lamp burn with full force the contact-block will be moved, through the agency of the threaded li, however, it

into or out ot circuit may be increased-that is, instead of having one layer QS connected to the contact-plate 12 by means of the wire 3 l may have two or more layers thus connected with said plate, and so on through the whole series.

The construction oi' regulator shown and described is designed particularly lfor use with an alternating current. In order to convert the same for use with a direct current, it is merely necessary to remove the induction resistance-coil and substitute known or ohmic resistance, substantially as shown in my former patent referred to.

Having now described my invention, what g l claim asncw, and desire lo secure by Letters l3 Patent, isbolt 1S, so as to make electrical connection 1. ln a curient-regulator, a resistance-circuit consisting ot' an annular coil wound radially in layers, and contact-plates in electrical connection with the separate layers of tact-block 22, contact-plate 11, wire 3G, layer of coil 29, wire 33, contact-plate 113, wire S7, layer of coil 2S, wire 32, contact-plate 12, bolt 16, contact-sleeve 11, lamp-iilament, and contact-rod S. A similar course will be followed whatever contact-plate the block 22 is thrown into electrical connection with.

From the foregoing description it will be convenient regulating device for an electric said coil, a contact-maker adapted to engage said plates, and means foi-operating said contact-maker.

2. In a current-regulator, a resistance-circnitconsistingot' asoft-metal core whose ends are insulated from each other, a coil wound in layers thereon, and a series ot contactplates in electrical connection with the separate layers of said coil, and a contact-block adapted to make electrical connection with one or the other of said contact-plates for throwing one or more ol the layers ot said coil into the main circuit.

A current-regulator for electric lamps, comprisinga pair ot disks of insulating material, a socket-piece on one of said disks and a plug on the other, a series of contact-plates observed that I have devised a simple and i current, which may be applied to anylamp in radially arranged between said disks, a core, and a coil of wire wound upon said core in layers, said layers being in electrical connection successively with said plates, a contacty block adapted to make electrical connection with one or the other of said contact-plates,

It will also be observed that I obtain the inductive resistance of the i coil 25 by the peculiar method in which the over the contact-plates 12, 13, 14, and 15, it 3 and a contact-spring for holding said contactblock in electrical connection with the contact-sleeve of the plug.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERCK l. RAMSA'Y. Witnesses:

J. S. M. llano, F. E. CowING.

IOO 

